Method of attaching alpha can end to alpha can body



March 1, 1932. H SEBELL rmnon OF ATTACHING A CAN END TO A CAN BODY Filed Nov. 29, 1929 Harry Sebe bYWWkW Ahys. N

Patented Mar. 1, 1932 UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY SEBELII, O1" BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASS IGNOR 0]! ON E-HALF T0 ARTHUR H. PARKER, OF LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS METHOD, or ATTACHING A can END r0 AVCAN BODY Application filed November 29, 1929. Serial No. 410,374.

This invention relates to amethod of attaching a can end to a can body and especially to a can in which the sealing is accom-' plished by means of a U-shaped sealing strip which encircles and is clamped to a sealing flange extending outwardly from the can end and which engages a sealing shoulder formed on the exterior of the can. A can of this general nature is illustrated in my co-pending application Serial No. 397,173, filed Octo'b er 4, 1929. I

The present invention has forits object to provide a novel method by which a tight seal can be produced in a can having the construction illustrated in the above-mentioned application notwithstanding any irregularities in the contour of the top edge of the can or in the can cover.

In carrying out my invention the can end or can cover is applied to the can body in usual way and then the sealing strip is clamped to the sealing flangeof the can end and against the shoulder of the can body. Subsequently the can end is subjected to a pressure which causes the portion of said can end that overlies and encloses the upper edge of the can body to conform to said edge and simultaneously draws the metal of the can end over the can edge-in an inward direction, which will result in causing the longer leg of the sealing strip to be firmly seated against the sealing shoulder'of the-can body.

This action can be conveniently accomplished by applying a rolling pressure to the portion of the can end which embraces the edge of the can body slightly on the inside of the median line thereof. 1 I

In order to give an'unders'tanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings some steps by which the invention may be carried out.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a can end before it is applied to the can; i

i Fig. 2 is a sectional view of aportion of the can body to which the can end is to be applied; I

Fig. 3 illustrates the process of clamping the sealing strip to the sealing flange of the cover end and against the sealing shoulder of the can body;

' Fig. 4 illustrates the step by which the can end is caused to conform to any irregularities in the edge of the can body and by which I the material of the skirt portion of the can end is drawn over the edge of the can thereby causing the sealing strip to be firmly clamped against the shoulder of the can;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of a can end which is sealed to the can body in accordance with the present method.

In the drawings 1 indicates the can body and 2 the can end which is to be sealed thereto. The upper edge of the can body is bent inwardly to give thickness to the edge 3. The

can cover 2 is of the panel variety, it having a depressed central portion, the portion 4 which fits over and around the edge 3 of the can body, and the skirt 5 which embraces the upper portion 6 of the can body. The can end 2 is further provided with an outwardlyextending sealing flange 7 about which is clamped a U-shaped sealing strip 8. One leg 9 of this sealing strip is longer than the other and this longer leg engages an exterior sealing shoulder 10 with which the can body 1 is formed. This shoulder may conven'iently be made by forming the can body with the exterior groove 11, the upper wall of which, con

' stitutes the sealing flange 10.

12 indicates a sealing compound which is placed in the-groove 4 and which engages the bead or edge 3 of thecan body when the can end is applied to the can body. This sealing compound 12 can conveniently be placed in the groove 4 before the can end is assembled with the body.

In carrying out my invention the first step is to assemble thecan end and the can body and then to apply the sealing strip 8 to the sealing flange 7. The sealing'strip may be applied by mechanism similar to that shown in my Patent No. 1,605,147, dated November 2, 1926 and in my co-pending application Serial No. 308,658, filed September 27, 1928.

Fig. a 3 illustrates diagrammatically this step of applying the sealing strip and in said figure, 13 indicates a rotary ring having a supporting surface 14 to engagethe longer leg of the sealing strip, this ring being provided with the inwardly-directed extension that fits into the groove 11 in the can body. 16 indicates a presser roll arranged to engage the upper leg of the sealing strip.

After the can end and can body have been assembled, the can is subjected to the action of the pressure ring 13 and presser roll 16 and as the ring and roll rotate the sealing strip 8 will be clamped firmly about the sealing flange 7 and the longer leg- 9 of the seal.- ing strip will be forced against the scaling shoulder 10.

The steps thus far described are such as usually employed in applying a can end'of this type to a can body. It sometimes happens that the upper edge 3 of the can bodywill not be exactly true and if said can edge is at all uneven then when the can end is applied to the can, said can end will rest on and be supported by the high spots of the edge 3 with the result that at any low spots there maynot be sutficient clamping pressure between the end and the edge 3 to produce a tight oint. Moreover, when the sealing strip is applied as shown in Fig. 3 it sometimes happens that the longer leg 9 of said strip is not tightly clamped against the sealing shoulder 10.

In order to produce a perfectly tight joint I propose to subject the portion 4 of the can end to pressure in such a way as to cause said portion to conform to the edge 3 of the can cover incase said edge has any irregularities; and further this pressure is so applied as to cause the portion 4 of the can cover to be drawn over the edge3 of the can body in an inward direction which will tend to the skirt 5 slightly and thus seat the longer leg 9 of the sealing strip tightly against the sealing shoulder 10. One convenient way of securing this end is by applying a rolling pressure to the portion 4 of the can end slightly on the inside of a median line of said portion 4. I

Fig. 4 illustrates this step of the process I and 17 indicates a roll which is provided with a conical face 18 adaptedto engage the portion.4 of the can end. Owing to the conical shape of the face 18 the rolling pressure will be applied to the portion 4 slightly on the inside of the median line thereof. As this roll operates progressively on the portion 4 of the can said portion is caused to conform to any I irregularities that may exist in the edge 3 thus causin the same amount of pressure to be applied to the gasket or compound 12 throughout its entire extent. Moreover, the action of the inclined face 18 of the roll 17 will be to draw the metal comprising the portion 4 of the can end over the can 'edge 3 in an inward direction which will result in a tendency to raise the skirt 5 and sealing flange 7 of the can end. This in turn will result in seating the longer leg 9 of thesealing strip firmly against the sealing shoulder 10, thereby producing a perfectly tight seal.

Fig. 5 illustrates in sectional view a can end applied to a can body by this method and in said figure it will be noted that the portion 4 of the can end has been flattened slightly as shown at 19 at the point where it has been engaged by the conical roller, and the rolling pressure which is applied to the portion 4 of the can end at the point 19 has slightly raised the skirt 5' and the outer edge 20 of the sealing strip thereby effecting a firm pressure of the leg 9 of the sealing strip against theshou'lder'lQ.

I claim.

1. The process of sealing to a can body a can end having a skirt'portion encircling the end of thelbody, a portion to embrace the edge of the body and a sealing flange which extends laterally from the skirt portion and is out of contact with the canbody which consists in assembling the can body and can end, applyin a sealing strip to the sealing flange with a portion of the strip engaging the can body externally below the sealing flange, and causing the portion of the can end thatembraces the edge of the can body to conform to said edge and simultaneously drawing the metal ofthe can end inwardly over said edge of the can body, thereby to increase the'clamping pressure of the clamping. strip against thelcan body.

QIThe process of sealing to a can body having a downwardly-facing external shoulder below its upper edge a can end having a skirt portion to encircle the end of the can body above said shoulder, a portion to embrace the edge of the can body and a sealing flange extending laterally from said skirt portion, which consists in assembling the can body and can end with the skirt portion of the can end fitting over the upper end of the can body, applying a sealing strip to the sealing flange of the can end with a portion of said strip engaging said shoulder of the can body, applying a rolling pressure progressively to the portion of the can end which embraces the edge of the can body to cause said portion of-the can end to conformto said edge and simultaneously to draw the metal of the can endinwardly over the edge of the can body thereby increasing the'clamping pressure ofthe sealing strip against said shoulder of the can body.

'3. The process of sealing to a can body having, an external downwardly-facing sealing shoulder below its top a can end having a skirt portion to embrace, the end of the can body above said shoulder, a portion to embrace the edge of the can body, and a laterally-extending sealing flange which consists in assembling the can body and can in sealing relation, applying a sealing strip to the sealing flange of the can end with a portion of the strip engaging the sealing shoulder of the can body, applying a progressive rolling pressure to the portion of the can end which embraces the edge of the can body to cause said portion of the can end to conform to the edge of the can body and simultaneously drawing the metal of the can end inwardly over the said edge of the can body g and thereby forcing the sealing flange tightly against the sealing shoulder.

4. The process of sealing to a can body having an external downwardly-facing sealing shoulder below its top edge a can end having a skirt portion to fit around the portion of the can body above said shoulder, a portion to embrace the edge of the can body, and a sealing flange extending laterally from the skirt portion, which consists in assembling the can body and can end in sealing relation, applying a sealing strip to the sealing flange of the can end with a portion of the strip engaging the sealing shoulder of the can body, applying a rolling pressure progressively throughout the portion of the can end which embraces the edge of the can body and on the inside of the median line of said portion thereby causing said portion of the can end to conform to said edge of the can and also drawing the metal of the can inwardly over said edge thereby to force the sealing strip firmly against the sealing shoulder.

In testimony whereof, I have signedmy name to this specification.

HARRY SEBELL. 

